Summary

The most important reservoir is the domestic pig, although a variety of other animals, including horses and wild carnivores, can be the source of infection.

Bi-phasic disease characterised by a gastrointestinal (enteric) phase followed by a systemic (parenteral) phase.

The intestinal phase occurs within a few days of ingestion of the parasite and manifests with gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

The systemic phase most commonly manifests with fever, eosinophilic myositis, myalgia, and peri-orbital oedema, although it may also cause myocarditis and encephalitis.

Although the disease severity can range from mild to lethal, a full recovery within 6 weeks to 6 months is the most common course.

Treatment is with albendazole or mebendazole and, occasionally, prednisolone.

Appropriate cooking of meat is key to prevention of the disease.

Definition

Trichinellosis is a parasitosis caused by the ingestion of raw or under-cooked meat (usually pork) containing
Trichinella
species cysts. It is a bi-phasic disease characterised by a gastrointestinal (enteric) phase followed by a systemic (parenteral) phase. The intestinal phase occurs within a few days of ingesting the parasite and manifests with gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. After the first week, larvae released from the cysts become adult worms and mate. The female parasites then release newborn larvae that disseminate, leading to the systemic phase. This phase manifests with fever, eosinophilic myositis, myalgia, and peri-orbital oedema. Rarely, it may also cause myocarditis or encephalitis.